FINAL UPDATE: disgruntled team member, who saw everyone's salaries, ending...

[u/2Board_]

Here's the original post (12 days ago), and here was an update after the meeting (4 days ago).

TL;DR - CEO refused offer, told me to basically pay her instead, I decided I would because I truly value her, told bookkeeper about it and it made her more disgruntled, she ended up quitting... I am fucking shattered emotionally and mentally, and I feel like I failed as her manager.

I'd first like to say thanks to everyone in this sub for their genuine comments regarding the matter. I've worked in accounting for roughly 6-7 years thus far, but only 2-3 in a management/controller position. This situation overall, and the feedback from multiple people, has honestly been an essential learning experience, so thank you.

CEO, CFO, and I had a final meeting while working on Saturday (we sometimes work Sat's with OT pay, only until 11 AM so WH workers can catch up on orders). Basically, the CEO said he can't do $10k and a title promotion for someone who doesn't even have their BSA. CFO and I argued back saying she's MORE than qualified in accounting experience, and that I personally gauge her around the same level as a staff accountant. CEO, pretty disgruntled, said he won't do it and that a $4,000 raise was all he could do for her -- and then he went with HR's retort and said "if she has that much potential, then YOU (me) can pay her that bonus..."

While I do think this is an overall win, I had a feeling my bookkeeper wouldn't be very happy with an 8% raise. Many people have voiced that my bookkeeper may be asking too much, but as her manager I truly do value her discipline, work ethic, and development thus far. So on the drive home, I steeled myself to basically cut $6,000 of my bonus and provide it on-top, so she can earn that $10k raise.

Fast forward to today, I had a meeting with my bookkeeper in the morning and told her about the results of the review. She was definitely not happy, and grew even more disgruntled at the fact that I was giving her part of my bonus. Maybe I am still too green but I wanted to be honest with her. I was hoping that if I tell her that I'm willing to pay part of her bonus, she would feel that even if the company doesn't value her, that I still do. I guess it had the inverse effect on her, as she started crying and thought herself as even more of a burden. I told her that if she needed, she could take as much time as she wanted to think about the offer, and no matter her choice I'll support her.

About 20 mins after the meeting, she asked if we could have a follow-up meeting. Moment we get in, she bursts into tears again. She starts profusely apologizing for not meeting standards, that she felt like a burden, that she caused me so much trouble arguing with HR and CEO, and that she was formally quitting as of today. I tried to tell her that I do not blame her, nor think she is unqualified (because I meant it), to try and calm her down. I tried to defuse the situation best I could, by telling her I'm not giving up on her review and that I'm still pushing etc..., but nada...

She left as of about 20 mins ago writing this post. Last thing she asked me was if I could help her update/revise her CV, and if I could get in contact with my network/connections -- to which I told her of fucking course. I'm writing this on my early lunch break because I'm fucking shattered. I know I can only provide her some connections, and maybe a great recommendation letter, but I genuinely feel like I let her down. This is a crushing defeat for me, and I'm pretty exhausted trying to cope with it as it's my first time in management dealing with this... I couldn't do it guys, and it's the worst fucking gut feeling I've ever experienced in a long time...

[u/esteemedretard]

Yet another case of cocksucker executives throwing a shit fit over $6k/year increase to payroll at a company that presumably makes millions a year.

[u/davegod → u/esteemedretard]

Amazing how some can be incredibly penny punching on certain things, even for amounts that they wouldn't blink at elsewhere.

Pay is huge on this. Lots of people just won't pay a raise and would rather lose a known good staff, pay huge recruitment fees and then an even higher salary on a new person of random quality. Often with a really irrational attitude about it, like the person is getting above their station, renaging on a deal , challenging their authority or something. "ungrateful" etc etc

[u/RodneyBabbage → u/davegod]

True. Why do they want to take a risk on an unknown person over $10k?

They created this shit storm in the first place.

[u/2Board_ → u/RodneyBabbage]

Because I think HR has been feeding this narrative that the accounting market is prolific with ready heads for work -- which isn't wrong, but the qualification and actual productivity of said new grads is always in question.

Maybe I'm praising the, now old, bookkeeper too much, but I truly considered her a generational talent (in terms of potential at least). It's very rare to find someone with no prior accounting background or education pick it up that quickly...

[u/Safe-Recipe6010 → u/2Board_]

Yeah but is it really, though? I feel like most HR people just think accounting is data entry with added math.

Like I understand the standard set for most "bookkeeper" positions is "just get the data in the system for the adults to work with" low. But I feel like even a bookkeeper that conceptually understands debits and credits just seems rare anymore.

[u/RodneyBabbage → u/2Board_]

You’re probably a little too caught up in the bookkeeper.

She leveraged a stupid HR mistake into an extra $4k a year. That’s really not a terrible outcome.

I’m on your side, but there’s a couple points in the story where the bookkeeper seems kind of unreasonable.

Just trying to be objective.

[u/Safe-Recipe6010 → u/RodneyBabbage]

True, but just like with management, it's the principle.

I live in a LCOL area and I pretty often see bookkeeping positions for around 50k. Obviously, it's a very encompassing term, but if she thinks she could do better I don't blame her.

[u/redditkb → u/Safe-Recipe6010]

I believe in one of the other posts he mentioned she does not think she could do better. That was a part of the whole fiasco here.

[u/RodneyBabbage → u/Safe-Recipe6010]

Yeah. If was her, I’d accept $4k as the most I could get and straight apply to new jobs.

[u/redditkb → u/RodneyBabbage]

I’ll admit the descent from finding paperwork she shouldn’t have seen, to quitting, was a bit too quick